Owner Lloyd Williams wrote another chapter in his astonishing Melbourne Cup record when the northern hemisphere trained three-year-old Rekindling triumphed to give young Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien a Melbourne Cup winner at his first attempt.

The son of High Chapparal becomes the first three year old to win the race since 1941 and he was the second scorer for jockey Corey Brown, who won on Shocking in 2009.

Second home was Johannes Vermeer, also in Williams colours, who is trained by O'Brien's father, Aidan, while the third to finish was another European raider, Max Dynamite, for Irish trainer Willie Mullins.